Cool Classes: Magic for Muggles

Still waiting on that invitation to a certain school of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Even at KU, you can still indulge your interest in magic. The College has some recommendations for you. Check ’em out!

ENGL 203 Monsters in Literature and Film

No promises that your professor will become a mythical creature, but this class will offer a look at werewolves and other classic monsters. Find out where they came from and what they mean in literature and society.

From antiquity to present, monsters have dominated the imagination of writers and readers. Vampires, werewolves, and various other monstrous creatures appear in literature, art, and film. Students will be asked to consider such questions as: Why do we create monsters? What purpose do they serve in literature and film? How do the images of these monsters change throughout various time periods, historical contexts, and mediums? What can monsters teach us about the human body, sexuality, and identity?

ASTR 191 Contemporary Astronomy

Sorry, Harry. If you’re looking into the stars to predict your future, you won’t find divination here. But with astronomy, you can look to the stars to understand the mysteries of the universe from a scientific perspective.

The structure and evolution of the universe, from nearby planets to distant quasars, are examined. Topics include recent discoveries concerning planets, stars, pulsars and black holes as well as their evolution, the structure of the universe today and how it will be in the future.

ANTH359 Anthropology of Sex

Love potions work at Hogwarts, but for us Muggles, love isn’t that simple. Learn more about the birds and the bees from a new perspective, as the anthropology department shows you the science.

An evolutionary perspective on the behavior and biology of males and females in human society. Topics will include the evolution of sexual dimorphism, social and biological issues in human reproduction, primate social patterns, human sexual behavior and taboos, sex and social structure, and the sociobiology of sex.

ANTH484 Magic, Science and Religion

For those of us who are still waiting on that letter from Hogwarts, enroll in this class to learn how magic and wizardry fit with religion and other beliefs throughout history.

Comparative study of religion and systems of value and belief in non-Western cultures